Iran-backed Iraqi militia threatens to attack Israel and its allies

Declaration adds to growing concerns of a broader regional conflict

Protesters in Baghdad carry Iranian and militia flags at a bridge leading to the fortified Green Zone, where the US embassy is located. AP

A Tehran-backed armed faction in Iraq has threatened to join the war between Israel and Iran, heightening concerns that the conflict, now in its fourth day, could spread across the region.

The True Promise Corps, part of a shadowy coalition calling itself the Islamic Resistance Iraq, said on Monday that it would launch attacks against Israel and its interests in the region.

“We declare that all the sites and camps of the entity [Israel] and anyone who supports it in the region are targets for us,” its leader, Mohammed Al Tamimi, said in a statement on X.

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The threat marks a sharp shift in tone by Iran-backed Iraqi militias, who said previously that they would enter the conflict only if US forces based in the country intervened to support Israel.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq has previously claimed responsibility for drone and rocket attacks against Israel and US forces in the region over Israel's war in Gaza.

Mr Al Tamimi also threatened action against “Israeli agents” in Iraq. He singled out the capital of Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan Region, Erbil, as a potential target, calling it a hub for “training agents and spies”.

Iran and its Iraqi proxies have long accused the Kurds of hosting a station of Israel's Mossad spy agency in the region. They have launched several attacks on Erbil, including with ballistic missiles launched from Iran.

Iran's regional proxy network has come under unprecedented pressure since the war in Gaza began in October 2023, with leaders and commanders killed by Israel. But Iran-backed groups in Iraq have so far avoided the level of Israeli attacks faced by other groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza.

On Sunday, the powerful Kataib Hezbollah group said it was monitoring movements of US troops in the region. “If America intervenes in the war, we will act without any hesitation against its interests and bases in the region,” the group said.

People inspect the site of an Iranian missile strike in Moshav Zavdiel, Israel, on Monday. AFP

It called on the government to close the US embassy and expel American troops who are in Iraq as part of the multination coalition against ISIS.

Other Iran-backed groups such as Hezbollah Harakat Al Nujabaa, Kata'ib Sayyid Al Shuhada and Asaib Ahl Al Haq have taken the same position.

Tehran holds significant sway through political and paramilitary proxies in Iraq, and their involvement in the conflict could destabilise the country's recovery from years of war and sectarian violence.

“With each passing day, this conflict inches us closer to our worst nightmare: being dragged into this,” an Iraqi diplomat told The National.

The Iraqi government has asked both Iran and US, its two most important allies, to prevent Baghdad from being caught up in the middle of the conflict, he said.

“We have made it clear to the Iranians that targeting the US troops in Iraq, whether directly or indirectly, will complicate the situation and asked them not to consider this option,” he said. “They replied positively.”

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani told Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in a phone call on Sunday that “Iraq is keen to prevent the war from expanding”, according to a statement from his office.

Mr Pezeshkian “urged the Iraqi government to take measures to protect its airspace and prevent its territory from being exploited by adversaries”, according to an Iranian statement.

In a move to alleviate Iranian concerns, Iraq deployed air defence systems in several “sensitive areas” around the country on Sunday, mainly near the borders with Iran. Iraq has also lodged a formal complaint with the UN Security Council regarding Israel's violation of its airspace after it began attacking Iran on Friday.

Ihsan Al Shammari, head of the Iraqi Political Thinking Centre, said the government in Baghdad is “powerless to persuade the Tehran-backed armed factions and won't be able to limit their activities”.

However, involving these groups in the war with Israel is not an option for Iran at the moment, he told The National.

“The overt role of these factions might be postponed to a future phase,” he said. “For now, Iranians prefer to maintain one of their elements of strength in Iraq.”